


A Moment

by koalahugs



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Golden Deer Route, No Beta, Post-Time Skip, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Somewhere between chapter 18/19, Verdant Wind route, it's only ship-py if you squint hard, no proof reading cause im lazy af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22566856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalahugs/pseuds/koalahugs
Summary: “Are you scared?” She whispers. “Do you still wish to change the world, Claude? To unite peoples and break the walls of prejudice? A world where all people are accepted?”She remembers it. Almost verbatim. Almost. “Yes.”She nods. “Then you have to live. Please, definitely live.”-----In the throes of war a moment of uncertainty comes between Claude and Marianne
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund & Claude von Riegan, Marianne von Edmund/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	A Moment

Peculiar to find her here, at the front of the monastery. Not that she could only wander her usual spots, but Marianne seemed to be a creature of habit, often wandering around the library, the cathedral or the reception hall. Claude had never seen her here by the market. He followed her as she did a grateful bow then parted ways from him, walking towards the stable – a usual romp for her. She kept her head down, as she turned the corner. He waved the gatekeeper, as he went on his way up the stairs, careful to keep out of her sight when as she round the corner. He ought not to do this to her again, he figured. He ought not pry for her secrets, lest he come off insensitive, considering he told her his story and she did not pry, he owed it to her. Still, Claude cannot help his curious nature and pursues.

“Hey, Marianne!” He calls to her. Marianne has one hand on Dorte’s chin, the other petting his mane carefully. She turns her head to him, eyes wide, hand freezing atop Dorte’s head.

“Oh, Claude.” She responds, before she turns back to Dorte and continues her motions. “Did you need me for anything?”

He approaches her and places a hand on Dorte’s back. They often spent time attending the stables together, and after their conversation about his past and her future, she seemed more at ease around. He was thankful for that. “No. I was on my way to grab some items from the market before I saw you.”

She moved around him, and went into the building, coming out with a brush and bucket. She stood by him, and began to brush out the matting in Dorte’s mane. She was so careful, so gentle. Mindful, always, of Dorte and his comfort. Marianne made slow movements, and as she came to a knot, she would move the brush over it, repeatedly working it out and doing her best not to pull any lose strands. Claude went into the stable to grab a curry comb. He stretched out his hand, offering it to her. Marianne looks at it for a moment, before she exchanges the brush and comb, now working through the knot with the comb, it is much easier. “What were you talking about with gatekeeper?”

She chuckled. “I should have known you wouldn’t miss that.” Marianne does not look at him, her eyes focused on smoothing out the rest of the mane. When she’s finished one part, she moves on to the next. Claude was relieved to find her doing this, with how thick the horse’s mane is, this would take a while. Knowing her, she’d also work on tail, then make sure to brush the rest of his body to remove any dust and dirt. Marianne takes a deep breath in. When her lungs fill to the top she speaks, “I was, uhm, I was giving him instructions.”

He moves his gaze from her hands to her face. She still doesn’t look at him. “Instructions?” he goads.

Marianne nods. She grabs a hand full of the tips of the mane, running the teeth of the comb through the ends, to tug out another thick matte. “On how to take care of… Dorte.” She stops and turns to him. Claude sees the depth in her eyes. There is something serious on her mind. He’s desperate to know what she’s thinking. Marianne has always been one of mystery. Elusive past, holds her tongue and fades to the background. Little does she know he’s got his eye on her, his mind on her.

She lets out a deep sigh before she tugs out the mat. She tosses the ball of hair into the bucket before she picks it up and brings it back into the stable. Without looking at Claude, she reaches for Dorte’s chin and pets him, before leading him back to his stall, and closes the door to stable. Finally, she looks at him, she stares deeply into his eyes. He can tell she’s trying to read him, just as he is trying to read her. For a moment, it’s a battle of minds. Who will relent, who will be the reader and who will get read. Whose thoughts will be shown in their eyes, who will catch those thoughts. It’s almost like a dance. A dance of intrigue. Claude isn’t sure how long that lasted or when it ended, but before he knew it, her pale eyelids closed over her brown eyes, and she turned away from him.

He watched as she walked away from, her head down cast. He followed after her. She’s like a deer. He has to be careful. If something snaps, she might run. If she runs, who knows when opportunity will shine on him again. Despite what others might believe, Claude knows when not to speak. For whatever reason, it’s clearer to him with Marianne. He keeps quiet, letting her roll in her thoughts. He exhales out his nose, and looks at his surroundings. They pass the knight’s hall and walk along the pathway. He stares at the brick that carefully lines the path they’re walking. He looks up, knowing where they’re going. When they get to the small court before the cemetery, Marianne continues to ledge that looks overlooks the moor which surrounds Garreg Mach.

“Are you scared?” She whispers. He comes to stand next to her. He looks down into the moor as well. She leans forward, crossing her arms over one another, elbows perching on the stoned edge of the rail. He remains standing straight, and holds his hands behind his back. A moment passes by; only the whisper of the breeze responds to her. He takes a moment to think. Is he scared? Of course, he’s scared. Who does not fear for their own life? But more than anything, who does not fear the possibility of an unfulfilled dream. A dream that has only made mere steps in its thousand-step journey. But is this something he should tell her, something she would want to know? Will it rattle her faith in him? When she so boldly professed her willingness to join his cause in Fort Merceus, it seemed like nothing could get to her. But such a rush is just that. A rush. A fleeting moment, here and gone in the blink of an eye. It’s not that he believed her to be a coward, but Marianne is still very much human. It is not surprising that doubts have crept on her since then. Despite his bold demeanour and his careful planning, he could not anticipate every last detail. Even if one was to expect the unexpected, one cannot know what they do not know. Claude’s smart enough to know that. Anything could go sideways in his carefully concocted plan.

“Do you still wish to change the world, Claude?” Her voice snaps him out of the spiral he has dove into. “To unite peoples and break the walls of prejudice? A world where all people are accepted?”

She remembers it. Almost verbatim. Almost. “Yes.”

She nods, turning her eyes to look at the bridge that connects the academy to the church. He looks at the intricate braid that lines the base of her head. He’s not sure how she manages to do that every morning. She can’t possibly sleep with it, he thinks to himself. Not unless she does not move at all in her sleep. At the same time, having to wake up every morning to do that, would be such a chore. For a girl Hilda says is clumsy, she must have excellent finger dexterity, if not coordination and awareness of her surroundings. He also brings his eyes up the bridge. “Then you have to live.” He grunts in response. He’s not sure how to reply to that. What does she want him to say? “Please, definitely live.”

“I- yeah, of course I want to.” He hesitates. Does he show her he is as vulnerable as she is? That death is a friend that will greet the both of them someday, expected or not.

It’s silent for a while. Neither talk. Neither breathes deeply or sighs. It is not a comfortable silence either. It is palpable. The unknown, breathing down their neck, lurking behind them. Like a stranger with unclear motives, like a mystery that will never be solved. Claude is grateful for the company in this time. A company that he does not need to wear a mask around. He does not need to be bold and sure, like he has to be in front of Lorenz. He does not have to be swashbuckling, like he has to be around Hilda. He does not need to be confident, like he knows it all, like he has to be in front of Raphael, Leonie and Ignatz. Most especially, he does not need to be the master tactician, that teach expects him to be. That everyone expects him to be. For just this moment, he can be a dreamer, who’s dream can be reached but not held. Not yet. “Are you scared?”

A pause.

“Yes.”

He nods, though they are both still gazing over to the bridge. “I’m scared I’ll fail you. Scared that your dream won’t come true.”

He looks to her again. Now her head is back down, looking to far depths of the valley below the bridge. “I’m scared I won’t see the world you want to build. And that I won’t be there to help you cast off your burdens.”

What is the proper reply to such deep honesty? What is the reply to someone bearing their heart wide open. To a sincere plea, with no ulterior motive. “I don’t want you to… I don’t want to lose you, Claude.”

How is he to interpret that? She finally stands straight and turns to face him. She looks as she said. She looks scared. But not for herself. She looks determined, also not for herself. His brows are furrowed together. He’s confused. Claude knows she knows that he is confused. Not many people can take the words out of his mouth, fewer can stop the thoughts in his head. In this moment, she’s done both. He almost always has an answer. Not always the right one, but an answer. And right now, he neither has a right nor wrong answer. Her eyes move, she’s searching him now. Unfortunately, there is nothing to find. There is no other thought in his head, but her. Her words echoing deep and resounding into the heart of the child that was unwanted by many. ‘ _I don’t want to lose you,_ ’ rings like cathedral bells. The words crawl into the crevices of his brain and worms into his heart.

“I once wanted nothing more than to die.” She starts. Marianne’s eyes now fastened onto his. “I no longer want that. I want to live. I want to see this world where even I will be accepted as I am.”

He’s still at a loss for words. He is now conscious of the beat of his heart. Not racing, but heavy. Pounding in his chest, hard enough that he feels it against his ribs. “I want to live, too. I can’t do this without you, Marianne.”

“We couldn’t do this without you.” She brings her hands together and plays with the tips of her fingers. “I-I’m close to mastering being a holy knight. I’ve always been good on a horse, and my white magic is better than it ever has been.”

“I can see that. You’re fierce in battle, good with a sword and lance. And your white magic has some amazing offensive capabilities. I’d hate to face you in battle.”

She smiles up at him. A genuine smile, with no effort put into tugging the corner of her lips up and apart, “Th-that’s why I-I want you to… Please let me…” The smile drops as she thinks of how she’s going to say what she wants to. He’s patient. He’s patient with her. He does not want to her to flee, he wants her to keep this moment of confidence, that follows after a moment of doubt. “Don’t leave me.”

“Ah.” He breathes out.

“Don’t go too far ahead of me. So, I can always reach you.”

All thoughts come to an abrupt halt. “What… do you…”

“I-I’m a healer. I can make sure your vitals are strong and wounds get mended. Like I said, my white magic is stronger now.”

“Ah,” Claude chuckles. He shakes his head to the floors and laughs to himself for a moment. He did not know where that was going, but he did not expect this. He brings a hand up to brush back the lose strands of his hair, now windswept. He looks up, still chuckling to himself. His hand remains in his hair, the other perching on his hip. Claude looks at Marianne, standing just a few inches below him. Her back straight, face serious. Her eyes have not wavered, her lips tightened together. The chuckle fades with the smirk on his face. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“I can’t help it.”

She shakes her head. “This dream of yours, it is far too important. This dream of yours, it is my dream to see it come true. It is my purpose to see it through. That is what I have decided.” She steps closer to him. She inhales. She pauses, then exhales. “I’m scared, Claude. But, it won’t hold me back. More than anything, Fódlan must see a new dawn.” A single fish comes up and plants itself right over her heart. He knew the other believed in him, counted on him. He knew the others looked to him, but this was different. There was something about Marianne, her change since their days in the academy, her boldness, her determination. There was something that reached to him.

He nods in response, “I won’t go too far from you, Marianne.” He takes her fist in one hand and unfurls it. Taking her fingers into his grasp, he rubs his thumb over her knuckles. “I’ll stay close to you. I’ll stay within your reach, so I can protect you.” He whispers now. Not to keep other out, but to keep her in. To keep her near. For whatever reason, this a moment he cannot explain. It’s a vulnerable moment, but it’s safe. It is comfortable, but disquieting. Frightening but, secure. In this moment, there is no war, no death. Just himself and her, and a promise.

She slips her hand from his, still smiling. She turns away from him, and heads back to finish attending to Dorte. Claude smiles to himself, before he makes his way upstairs and continue planning for the capture of Enbarr. This is the reality of war, many will be lost. Many will return, scarred and changed. In this war his plans for the future and dreams for the next generation, may happen, or they'll shatter in front of him. But that is not something to think of at this moment. There are many other counting on him. There are his friends and fellow classmates. There are those from different houses who deflected, and decided to stand by teach. Teach, decided to stand by his cause. There was Marianne, who for reasons of her own decided that these plans, these dreams and aspirations, were something worth fighting for. Something worth dying for. To Marianne, these dreams of his, this new dawn he wants to bring is something worth living for. He looks onwards as he marches with reality in reach, but confidence lining his heart. If there is anything that is frightening him, he will look back to this moment. This moment that is just his and Marianne’s.

**Author's Note:**

> In my play through I constantly had Claude running into battles and Marianne having to heal him. So, this is based on how I imagined a moment in a day in a month happened.


End file.
